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A whirlpool of frigid, dense air known as a polar vortex descended into Michigan today, pummeling metro Detroit with dangerous cold that shut down universities, forced a delay in the Detroit bankruptcy case and closed restaurants, shops and other businesses across the region.

And businesses got creative in coping. Some allowed employees to work from home; others invited workers to spend the night. But still, the fear that the cold would keep potential customers inside caused dozens of small businesses to close.

Meanwhile, local governments were busy taking care of business, with most offices open and the Detroit City Council even holding its first meeting of the year - and electing its new president.

Here's a look at the day as it unfolded across metro Detroit's various industries.

A work-from-home day

"Our building in Warren is open today, although we advised our people yesterday to use their best judgment as to if/when they could safely make it in," Kelly Barnes, director of corporate communications at the advertising agency Lowe Campbell Ewald, wrote in an email this morning.

"Most of us have the ability to work from home, so we suggested that would be a good option for today. Quite a few folks are doing just that."

On Jan. 21, the firm is scheduled to move its more than 500 staffers from Warren to new offices under construction inside the old Hudson's warehouse that's part of Ford Field.

"I have not heard this has had any major impact on the work at the new office," Barnes said.

Patricia Nemeth, owner of Detroit-based Nemeth Law PC, closed her labor and employment law firm for only the second time in over 20 years today.

She decided to give her office staff the day off and have her attorneys work from home after looking at the weather predictions, safety of her employees commuting to the office and number of school and business closings.

"I think every company has a different analysis they go through when they decide whether to close or not," said Nemeth.

When businesses decide to close, she said there are many considerations they face including making sure their businesses are covered for the day, adequately notifying employees and deciding whether to pay employees.

"Some companies have policies in place that address those issues, but many do not," Nemeth said.

"My employees were very thankful they didn't have to drive into work; I had an attorney tell me he was using the opportunity to help he neighbor shovel snow," she said.

Just in case: Employees spend night

Key managers and employees of the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center spent the night at the riverfront hotel to ensure they'd be on hand after the snowstorm, said Judy Booth, director of sales and marketing.

That included a cross section of managers and other employees across all its operations, from loss prevention to front desk to switchboard and housekeeping. And it was a good thing, Booth said, because other employees couldn't get into downtown this morning.

"Being that we're a hotel, we're open 24/7. We don't close," Booth said. "We always have guests in our hotel, so we have to make sure our guests are taken care of."

In addition to people in town to set up for the North American International Auto Show and a few others who stayed at the hotel because they had to be downtown for appointments today, a number of employees from hospitals and other essential industries stayed at the Marriott to ensure they could get into the city after the weekend snowfall, she said.

Had the big snow come next weekend, it would have been bad news for the hotel and the city as a whole, Booth said.

"Starting this Friday and (nearly) all through charity preview night, the downtown hotels are sold out," she said.

Hearing delayed in Detroit bankruptcy case

Winter weather delayed closing arguments in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court hearing on an agreement by Detroit to pay off banks and settle millions of dollars in debt tied to an interest rate swaps deal.

Bankruptcy Court in Detroit was shut today because of the severe weather.

Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr testified Friday that the proposal to terminate the deal with UBS and Bank of America for $165 million is best for the city.

The city pledged casino tax revenue in 2009 as collateral to avoid defaulting on pension debt payments. The swaps allowed Detroit to get fixed interest rates on pension bonds with the banks.

Orr and the banks initially reached a $220 million payoff, but bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes ordered the city to negotiate a better deal.

Going to the zoo?

The Detroit Zoo's facilities crew has been working around the clock for the past two days to clear the walkways of snow so that animal caretakers can get to their charges.

The staff caring for the animals may have rolled in a little late because of the snow, but were are all at work Monday.

"The care the animals requires has to happen every day whether or not there's good weather or bad weather," said Chief Life Sciences Officer Scott Carter.

Facilities employees are also working to ensure that the zoo's building infrastructure is operating as it should, since it's a critical time to ensure heat, water and other systems are working, Carter said.

Still, many of the animals at the zoo are used to the cold, he said, including polar bears, Asian wild horses, Bactrian camels, wolverines and bison.

They're fun to watch in the snow, Carter said, and as of mid-afternoon, about eight visitors to the zoo, including several from Mexico, could attest to that.

"We have to be here anyway. If the public wants to venture out, we're open."

Besides the zoo team's extreme vigilance to ensure the safety of staff and integrity of infrastructure for the animals, it's just like any other day at the zoo, Carter said.

Surgeries canceled; frostbite treated

Although many restaurants and shops chose to close for the day, hospitals and other health care services remained open for business.

Henry FordHealth System hospitals were "fully operational," said media relations manager David Olejarz. He said 16 surgeries were canceled, mostly by patients because of the weather. In its emergency departments, the hospitals treated two cases of frostbite and several cases of chest pain after snow shoveling.

Sports fans can stay home

Detroit's professional sports teams and their fans dodged the blizzard bullet thanks to the schedule makers.

The Detroit Red Wings are on a five-game road trip that doesn't see them return to Joe Louis Arena until Jan. 18. Similarly, the Detroit Pistons are on the road until Saturday. It's unclear whether their next game, Tuesday against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, will be affected in any way by weather in New York City.

In local men's college basketball, the next game downtown is the University of Detroit Mercy hosting Oakland University on Saturday. Wayne StateUniversity doesn't play at home again until Jan. 23. The University of Michigan men's team is away until Jan. 14.

The Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions are not playing.

UM open; other schools close campuses

The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is bucking the trend across the state and staying open during the severe winter weather. The school's Flint and Dearborn campuses are closed.

Hundreds of schools across the state canceled today's classes, including the Detroit Public Schools.

Michigan State University, Western Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Oakland University and Wayne State University are among those that canceled classes. Snow and dangerous wind chill temperatures were cited in closing decisions.

By noon today, several school districts across the area had already canceled classes for Tuesday.

What's next? Cold

As the snowfall tapered off, attention turned to the bitter cold.

In the southern Lower Peninsula, temperatures were expected to drop to as low as minus 15 late Monday or early Tuesday. Temperatures this morning were in the teens in Detroit. A reading of 22 degrees below zero was reported in the Upper Peninsula community of Ironwood.

"We do have wind chill warnings in effect through Wednesday," Matt Mosteiko, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's White Lake Township office, said of the ongoing freeze.

Crain's reporters Jay Greene, Bill Shea, Sherri Welch and Bridget Vis, as well as the Associated Press, contributed to this report.